Couponing for Charity 1/16-22

Hi, savvy shoppers. Before I post the best freebies of the week, I have to share this short story. I was waiting in line at Walgreen's behind a man who was buying Dawn dish detergent. I noticed he was using the ad coupon; so I offered him a manufacturer coupon for $.25 to use also. You'd think I just handed him twenty bucks. He chuckled, "You aren't one of those couponers who leave the store with them owing you money, are you? Ha Ha!" I looked down at my purchases and said, "Well, yes, I will walk out with more in store credit than what I pay today." His draw dropped again. See how much fun this is?! So let's get to it.

If you want the easiest freebie this week, go to Kroger for free Colgate (normally $2.69, select varieties on sale for $1, use the $.50 coupon; doubled that gives you free toothpaste.) There's no limit to the number of these coupons you can use; so if you have several, stock up. I only had one. For how I saved big on frozen food this week at Kroger, click here.

If you're trying to choose one pharmacy, head to Walgreen's.

For Southern Savers complete match-ups, click here.

For Coupon Katie's picks, click here.

If you have 4 $4 Sinex coupons from last month, here's how to turn them into a money maker. There is a money maker of joint juice drink mix and a free appetite control spray, but I skipped these because they're so specialized. We don't need them, and I try to stick with donations a broader range of people would use. The Listerine deal won't work because the sizes on the sale item don't match the printable coupons. Here's what I bought:

Transaction #1:

• 1 Thermacare heat wrap (normally $2.99, on sale for $2.50, get $2.50RR, use $1 printable=$1MM)
• 2 Breyers ice cream (B1G1 at $6.50)
• Used $5RR and $2RR from last week

Total with tax: $1.72

Total saved: $14.98

RR for next week: $2.50

Transaction #2 & #3:

• 1 Thermacare heat wrap (you must buy them separately to get the register rewards; I'll keep one and donate two. Since this coupon prints multiple times, I could have gotten lots, but 3 transactions were enough for me).

Total with tax: $1.73 each time

Total saved each time: $1.49

RR earned each time: $2.50

So yes, I spent $5.18 and walked out with $7.50 in store credit. :-)

CVS:

For Southern Savers complete match-ups, click here.

For Coupon Katie's picks, click here.

I don't see any freebies to recommend, but I did get 2 Listerine for $.99 each, which I will be keeping.

Staples:

For a list of all the freebies you get with Staples rewards, go to Coupon Katie's post. The list includes pens, post-its, envelopes, writing pads, and address labels. This is a "pay me now, save later" deal. So if you're not likely to keep up with your rewards or you don't want to wait for the reward to arrive in the mail, skip it. However, I find their deals on ink are competitive, and I can usually pair rewards certificates with a deal. If I have time, I'll stop by.

I did get several deals last week, but none were donations. Here are my current totals:

ITEMS I'M DONATING THIS WEEK: 1 toothpaste, 2 heat wraps

VALUE OF ITEMS DONATED: $8.67

MONEY SPENT: -$2

TOTAL ITEMS DONATING TO DATE: 1 box of pain patches, 2 heat wraps, 2 toothpaste, 4 containers of hummus

VALUE OF ITEMS DONATED: $31.11

MONEY SPENT: -$2